


Romance's bane

by LesbianDragon_LD



Category: Fire Emblem Series, Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Edeleth, F/F, byleth is just trying her best for her wife, byleth is so innocent and claude can't resist, godawful poetry
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-21
Updated: 2019-09-21
Packaged: 2020-10-25 14:14:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,526
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20725523
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LesbianDragon_LD/pseuds/LesbianDragon_LD
Summary: After the war, Edelgard schedules a meeting with Petra to discuss affairs between Fódlan and Brigid. While waiting for her wife and Petra to return from the meeting, Byleth spends time with Claude, who is now one of Petra's best generals.Claude's prankster instincts start kicking in one he realizes how clueless his professor still is regarding romance, though, and it's just too good to resist the urge. Poor Byleth believes him and tries to charm her wife with Claude's supposed 'perfect plan.'





	Romance's bane

**Author's Note:**

> Not gonna lie, this was a poor excuse to make the borderline worst poem I could think of, while still feeling somewhat believable.  
That and I need Byleth doing dumb stuff her wife secretly loves, pls.
> 
> *Added a disclaimer because of some comments I was receiving: I wrote this before I had finished all the routes of the game, so I had no idea that Claude was actually the king of Almyra. All I knew was that if you spared him in CF, he could survive and leave Fódlan to *supposedly* live out a more quiet life. So that's why he's just a general in this fic, instead of being a king, and why it doesn't make any sense regarding that plot point.

The war had been over for a year now, and slowly peace had returned to Fódlan.  
Edelgard decided to reside in Enbarr’s imperial palace with her wife Byleth while she fulfilled her duties as empress. As such, their home was often the chosen place for political visits and meetings with allies, and today had been one of those days.  
They were to receive Petra, who was now queen of Brigid, and was also in charge of discussing the alliance between the two countries with Edelgard.  
And when Petra and her soldiers arrived, the empress and her wife gave them a warm welcome. Edelgard embraced Petra, having missed her friend for the months she secluded herself in Brigid, attending to her country’s affairs. Byleth also hugged her former student, proud to see how Petra grew into a strong leader.  
The three women briefly chatted about life before another familiar face approached them. It was Claude, happy yet with a playful attitude as always. Claude had left Fódlan during the war after being spared, seeking shelter in Brigid and not intending on ever returning to the mainland. However, as the war settled and Edelgard issued an imperial pardon for him, he was now able to return as he pleased. Still, he had made quite the life for himself in Brigid in his short time there.

“I still can’t believe you’ve appointed Claude as a royal general!” Edelgard commented to Petra, still dumbfounded all this time later as to why the queen chose him for the position once she returned to Brigid and found him again.

“He has a sharp tongue as he has great skill” Petra joked, prompting Claude to remind them he was still there.

“Anyway, I’ve missed you too, Edelgard, and teach! Though I suppose I should call you your majesties now!” Claude continued.

“Come now, there’s no need for formalities between us” Edelgard assured him, before inviting them and Petra’s soldiers inside the palace.

They had a banquet for the tired and hungry soldiers, and Edelgard insisted that the four of them shared a table. Despite the jokes here and there, her sourness with Claude was long gone. This was the first time he was visiting after the war, yet still everyone got along just fine. Byleth never had that many issues with Claude to begin with, or at least not compared to Edelgard who he constantly bickered with when they were younger, and it felt nice to see her old students genuinely bonding over the meal. Claude was still a jokester, of course, and Edelgard was still very much annoyed at some of his jokes, but now they carried no malice or ill intent. Petra, as well, seemed to have grown fond of Claude, seemingly having forged a good friendship with him.  
When they were done eating, the soldiers retired to rest as Petra and Edelgard arranged a meeting alongside some ministers. Byleth was never good with politics, which was why her wife was used to going into meeting without her. So as Edelgard and Petra walked away without Byleth, Claude couldn’t help intervene.

“Aren’t you technically an empress as well now? Shouldn’t you attend too?” he asked Byleth, once they were alone at the table.

“El can handle it, as I’m still very behind on studies about world politics to make any significant statement. Plus, neither of us minds it…” she explained.

Claude merely nodded, and asked Byleth if he could keep her company since as a mere general he wasn’t allowed in the meeting, and he wasn’t fluent enough in Brigid’s language yet to make small talk with the soldiers as they all waited for Petra. Byleth agreed, and soon they were talking about their lives after the war on an almost empty dining hall.  
When Byleth talked about her marriage to Edelgard though, the prankster side of Claude smelled an opportunity for a great joke. 

“So, how does our royal princess show affection? You’re both so stoic I just assume you have very romantic staring contests…”

“Actually” Byleth innocently started, “El is very romantic. She absolutely loves romance even if she doesn’t show it in public.”

“Oh is that a fact?” Claude grinned before lowering his voice, as if he was about to reveal Byleth a huge secret, “well, teach, if you want to impress your empress, I have just the thing!”

Byleth glared at him.

“It’s true, I do! Cross my heart!” Claude interjected “you know I’m popular with the ladies! I can guarantee this is the oldest trick in the book and I can help you out!”

Byleth still looked unfazed, still wary of Claude’s reputation. But her curiosity got the best of her and she did want to impress her wife really bad.

“Fine…I’m listening” she told him after Claude swore on everything he held dear. The man could almost burst with joy as he explained his ‘technique.’ 

“Teach! Romantic women cannot resist poetry, I guarantee! They love themselves some sappy fancy words coming out of a lover’s mouth! Let me help you out with a declaration of your profound love!”

Byleth sighed.  
She was so horrible with these romantic things, so why not give Claude the benefit of the doubt?  
As she agreed, little did she imagine what was to come.  
Before she knew it, Claude was fervently writing words on some papers as Byleth silently peered over his shoulder.  
The hours then passed by, and the meeting between the empress and the queen came to an end. Edelgard, Petra, Hubert, Ferdinand and some other ministers all walked out of the meeting room. The ministers quickly dispersed on the corridor, and Edelgard was ready to suggest Petra shared a cup of tea with her and her old classmates, when the small group came to a halt just outside the door.  
Byleth was there waiting for them, papers in her hands. Claude merely watched from a safe distance, a big goofy grin on his face as he was trying his hardest not to laugh yet. Edelgard, Petra, Hubert and Ferdinand merely stared, surprised to see Byleth in their way like that. 

“Uh…love, do you need something?” Edelgard asked Byleth, and Byleth nodded. 

Edelgard was ready to ask her what it was she needed when Byleth cleared her throat and dropped to her knee. The group wondered what was going on, until Byleth started to speak.

“Edelgard, you are my crimson flower!” Byleth proudly proclaimed, “when I look at you, I lose all power! Your beauty has no match, you are better than any fish I catch! You are the queen of my heart, I’ll go mad if we ever grow apart! You…uh…” Byleth tried to read from her papers before continuing “…have eyes so bright you make me lose my sight! Your hair is so soft you make my mattress feel like a rock! Roses may be red as violets may be blue, yet I guarantee no woman loves like you do!”

Byleth finished her performance by getting up, taking a pink carnation flower out of her pocket and handing it to Edelgard.  
Edelgard was completely paralyzed, slowly taking the flower as her cheeks turned crimson. Petra looked confused, Ferdinand choked an “oh my…” and Hubert somehow turned even paler than what he already was. Claude, who was watching from a safe distance, wheezed and cried from laughing so hard.

“Love...t-that was…t-thank you” Edelgard quietly muttered, her face red, and Byleth became very pleased with herself assuming that her wife was embarrassed from her performance being so perfectly done. But when she saw the faces of Petra, Hubert and Ferdinand, she realized how clueless she was being. That damned Claude.

“Sorry…I tried my best, I just wanted to do something to impress you…I thought you’d enjoy something like this, even if it’s not very good…” Byleth admitted, half defeated. 

Suddenly, Edelgard looked deeply moved by her words, and the faces of the rest of the group softened as well. Byleth then hugged her wife, surprising Edelgard again except this time Edelgard was not embarrassed. She returned the hug, smiling. 

“You don’t have to try anything for me, I love you just the way you are, Byleth…”

“Aw come on, being all sappy about it is no fun!” Claude exclaimed as he approached, emerging into the group’s view and interrupting their embrace.

“I assume you helped Lady Byleth?” Hubert asked, absolutely irritated as Ferdinand couldn’t help but laugh. Claude shrugged, a smug smile on his face.

“Well, I be thinking that was most romantic!” Petra let out, “even if I did not have understanding of some words…”

“Oh don’t worry Petra, I’ll explain every last one of-ouch!” Claude stopped himself when he felt Edelgard pinch his arm. It was Edelgard’s turn to protest;

“Let’s all just go get some tea and leave it at that, shall we?” Edelgard exclaimed, before turning to her wife to whisper in her ear so no one else heard her, "Byleth, once we're alone I want to listen to more poems that you come up with yourself, without Claude interfering."

Byleth smiled. Talk about Claude's plan backfiring.


End file.
